Transcript of JPE's Round Table Discussion during the gathering of the "Church Heroes of EDSA", at EDSA Shrine Seminar Room, Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace (Our Lady of EDSA), February 23, 2009, 10am, organized by Radio Veritas Global Broadcasting System, Inc.
(Present during this forum are: Msgr. Nico Bautista, Bishop Ted Bacani, Bishop Gabriel Reyes, Fr. Larry Faraon, Bro. Efren Dato, Sis. Ping Organiza, Sis. Terry Burias, Bro. Pete Dugang & Mr. Tony Medina).

Somehow, the Divine Will was moving. A snap election was suddenly announced by President Marcos. And this became the subject of an intense debate in the Cabinet. Then there were again a snap election.

You see, I am relating to you facts; not conclusions or surmises. I'm telling you, it's up to you to judge whether it's true or not. Now, I called my people and I said our purpose is to defend the Filipino people. The snap election is announced, let that process happen. Marcos losses to have accomplished our purpose. If the wills of these elected by the people, who are we to say no to the will of the people? And so, we postponed the effort, the snap election campaign. Again, events started to happen, there was an indication of cheating at the National Computer Center at PICC tabulation. The wives of the RAM members walked out. You remember that? Now, so we re-activate the coup until Pres. Marcos was proclaimed and as far as we were concerned. There was an indication of manipulation of the votes, and so we activated the efforts and we decided to oust Marcos on Sunday, 23rd of February. That circumstances played its thing, played its role and the plot was discovered. It was discovered Wednesday before the 22nd of February. They arrested Dick Morales, Allan Querubin, Brillantes, and others who were members of the Presidential Security Command were also taken into custody. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Pres. Marcos did not act. Saturday I learned that there was going to be...I learned, as I narrated yesterday, that the security men of Ongpin

were arrested and there were members of the RAM, they were arrested because they was gazing already the house of Tadyang because they were assigned to arrest Tadyang. And then they were detained. Then I learned that these men were already in the custody of the Palace. These guys were commanders of combat troops of the RAM. And so I knew that matters would come to a head.

Now events happen... now, I tell you that when I left my house as a human being there was a certain amount of anxiety. But I was very light headed. I never had any undue pressure at all. My mind was very clear and as if somebody, something was directing my mind, all of them. I called the right people all the way to New York. Monday morning, we thought that Marcos left the Palace, we were euphoric and some advisers asked us to have a mass in the middle of EDSA, between Crame and Aguinaldo, After the mass, I don't know how that photograph was taken and when I saw it, the image of the Lady of Fatima was raised. Unknown to you, I was a devotee of Fatima until today. And this happened when I was living in Phil-Am. One afternoon while I was learning to play golf, I hit the ball and it landed behind the church of Phil-Am, in Sta. Rita de Caceres. The priest there was Father Pantig. When I went there to pick the ball, I picked it up and stood in front of me was a grotto and an image of a lady saint. I did not know who that saint was. For several nights, I don't know why but I kept dreaming about that.

That image, I think it is still there. Seven to nine nights I've been dreaming about that. Then I asked my wife, I have these dreams...always this image on my mind. You tell me what that image is and it was the first time that I learned that it was the image of the Lady of Fatima. So I asked her, on that day, that was in 1960, to make a replica of that image and I placed it in our home, and every night from then until today, I pray before that image. I kiss the head and the feet of that image.

On Significance of Radio Veritas in EDSA

Yung EDSA maraming nangilabot. Kagaya nung giyera, kami na lumaban sa mga Hapon, ay hindi kami naghangad na magkaroon ng backpay. Hindi kami na-recognize kagaya ni Ernesto Mata, a known guerilla from Negros. You know, I was in prison for 89 days for fighting them when I was young. I was a member of the first guerilla

organization to be organized in this country in Cagayan. Later on, I became a member of ROTC in Cagayan. The organization was discovered and I was invasioned by the Japanese military police in October 1944 until I escaped in January 1945. And I tell you, kagaya nung USA maraming nakinabang after. Nung recognition day na, marami ng lumitaw na mga guerilla na hindi naman nakakita ng mga Hapon. This is human conduct, very human conduct. Nagpunta kami sa EDSA na wala kaming hinahangad na kapangyarihan, gantimpala, recognition o kahit ano. Nagpunta kami doon dahil sa amin paningin ay napapanahon na gawin yun.

Ang Radio Veritas ang unang nagpahayag sa mundo noong event na yaon. Nung nag-martial law, nakikinig ako sa radio. Yon ang ginamit namin dahil magkadikit ang frequency ng Radio Veritas at noong radio na yun. At sino ang promoter na nag-interview sa akin ay si Father Efren Dazo. Tinawagan ako past three o'clock in the afternoon. Paano mo nalaman na nasa Aguinaldo ako nung hapon na yun.

I was in my house at 2:30 on February 22, I instructed my wife to call the late Jaime Cardinal Sin and told him what I was going to do. My wife was not able to call Cardinal Sin but she asked Betty Belmonte. Belmonte was working with Apostol of Inquirer and Mr. and Ms. I do not know whether Belmonte called the Cardinal. I was surprised how he learned that I was at Camp Aguinaldo until today.